Shloka 4

Varṇāśrama-ācāra and Vikarma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Safe Dharmas (शिवधर्मप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

सदारो वाप्यदारो वा आत्मवान्‌ संयतेन्द्रिय: । वानप्रस्थाश्रमं गच्छेत्‌ कृतकृत्यो गृहाश्रमात्‌,(ब्रह्मचर्य-आश्रममें) चूड़ाकरण-संस्कार और उपनयनके अनन्तर द्विजत्वको प्राप्त हो वेदाध्ययन पूर्ण करके (समावर्तनके पश्चात्‌ विवाह करे, फिर) गार्हस्थ्य आश्रममें अग्निहोत्र आदि कर्म सम्पन्न करके इन्द्रियोंको संयममें रखते हुए मनस्वी पुरुष स्त्रीको साथ लेकर अथवा बिना स्त्रीके ही गृहस्थाश्रमसे कृतकृत्य हो वानप्रस्थाश्रममें प्रवेश करे

Transliteration

sadāro vāpyadāro vā ātmavān saṃyatendriyaḥ | vānaprasthāśramaṃ gacchet kṛtakṛtyo gṛhāśramāt ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。妻を伴うにせよ伴わぬにせよ、自己を保ち、感官を制した者は——家住期の務めを果たしたのち——グリハスタ・アーシュラマを去り、ヴァーナプラスタ・アーシュラマへ入るべきである。

Word by Word

सदारःhaving a wife

वाor

अपिalso/even

अदारःwithout a wife

वाor

आत्मवान्self-possessed, disciplined

संयतेन्द्रियःone whose senses are restrained

वानप्रस्थाश्रमम्the forest-dweller stage (vānaprastha-āśrama)

गच्छेत्should go/should enter

कृतकृत्यःone who has accomplished what is to be done

गृहाश्रमात्from the householder stage (gṛhāśrama)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

After completing the obligations of household life, one should move to the forest-dweller stage; the legitimacy of withdrawal depends on fulfilled duties and disciplined senses, not merely on age or circumstance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about the proper progression through the āśramas, stating that a person—whether with or without a spouse—should enter vānaprastha once gṛhastha responsibilities are completed.